I was wondering what you guys think of this. After much play and thinking about the game, I have come to some conclusions about preflop play in limit hold'em.

Most things in poker are situational, but the first two I think I argue are true at all tables and at all limits.

1) Never cold call a raise outside of the blinds unless others coldcalled in front of you - either raise or fold.

2) If one person has raised, and everyone else folded, and you are in small blind - never just call - either raise or fold (because just calling gives too good of odds to big blind - never really realized this until reading Weighing the Odds in Hold'em)

This next one I think is true EXCEPT maybe at a really passive table that is only raised preflop <10% of the time, so therefore is going to be true probably 100% of the time online (might be not true in some passive live games with rocks):

3) Never limp first-in preflop no matter what position you are in and no matter what your cards are.

This one I am a bt less confident of being true ALL the time, but maybe it is:

4) Always raise AA KK QQ no matter what the action to you. Limit is about pushing marginal edges and you can't stack somebody like NL - get your bets in preflop when you have a pot equity advantage.


Serious discussion, please, if you want to post I'm nuts go ahead but explain your reasoning.

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I assuming your are refering to a TA table, since I have found to be cold calling and limping early porfitable moves at LP tables, I'm playing about 2/11 hands, and raising half of those, and since I'm not always the second or later to act, I will sometimes limp in early.

2) I don't like this idea if the raise came from EP, if its from LP or late MP, and if you have a playable hand, then this is fine, but sometimes, I like to see flops vs a UTG raiser for cheap, especially if I know my cards are live.

4) Yup, pretty much. short of two absolute rocks 3 betting it to me.... then I may be folding QQ......

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Definately agree with #1, cold calling is not good and I think it is one of the major mistakes that players at lower limits makes, if they got rid of that habit games would be alot harder to beat.

#2, well it seems like a good rule and I think it is very similar to #1. I do play alot of hands from the SB playing 6 max but I rarely just call a raise if I have a hand good enough to call the raise it is good enough to re-raise.

#3 I don't always agree with if I know the table is loose passive I'll open limp alot, if the table is tight then yes your rule totally applies


#4 again I agree for the most part, I will often just call a 3 bet 2 handed with AA or KK, if I raise 1st and get re-raised and the action is going to be heads up.

I can think of an example where I disagree with each one, but not bad.

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“There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about.” - John von Neumann

no set of rules about how to play poker is going to be without exception, alot of 'rules' on how to play go out the window when playing on extremely loose or passive tables (why play by the rules if no one else is?)

the above seem good tho, no. 2 is pretty solid (as its pretty specific), and i can't think of that many exceptions to 1, 3, or 4

with 1/3) there are some hands (e.g. suited connectors) that i might like to play in a multi-way pot as cheaply as possible...which means calling...again though this probably reqires a passive table, as i would only do it if i was expecting others to call (and not raise) behind me...

most new players could probably save themselves a bit of money if they followed them religiously for their first couple months or so of play, until they learnt to spot when to break them...overall very good

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I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour and who then asks: Am I then a cheat? for he wants to perish.

Strictly for amusement, I broke one of my rules . This was BY FAR the worst table I had ever played at. I was leaving to go do something or would have stuck around until my computer exploded. Won $300 !!!!!! at a 2-4 table in 80 hands!!!! That has to be a record. The table was so weak I limped UTG with A8s.

PokerStars 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG with , .
Hero calls, UTG+1 raises, 1 fold, MP2 calls, 2 folds, Button calls, SB calls, 1 fold, Hero calls.

Flop: (11 SB) , , (5 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, MP2 calls, Button folds, SB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) (4 players)
SB bets, Hero calls, UTG+1 raises, MP2 calls, SB 3-bets, Hero caps, MP2 calls, SB raises, Hero calls, MP2 calls.

River: (22 BB) (4 players)
SB bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls, SB calls.

Final Pot: 28 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has 8d Ad (flush, ace high).
UTG+1 has 8s 8c (one pair, eights).
MP2 has Kd Ac (straight, five high).
SB has 6c 2c (straight, six high).
Outcome: Hero wins 28 BB.

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The only exceptions I can think of about #4 is if it's raised by a rock and it's going to be heads up back to me and I have QQ I'll just call. All else, I'm hoping for a capped PF.

The rest of them are fine. I've recently came to the same conclusions I just hadn't defined them yet. Good job.

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Trons
JstTrons
Toyotatruck

#1 - This may be a 90% of the time rule imo. There are times with A-Qo, A-Jo or KQo and I'm faced with a EP raise from A TAP or TA that I definately want to play but am feeling cautious so will just cold-call. But 90% of the time I would prefer to isolate and narrow the field so will raise.

#2 - just the excuse I've been looking for. The blinds are my biggest leaks and I've been trying to tighten up but keep running into the great odds offered and playing way too many marginal - or worse - hands. Maybe this rule can help stop the bleeding in my game at the blinds?!?!

#3 - I would replace 'Never' to 'Avoid'. I've found too often that after I've played at a table for a couple of hours, most of the table starts to avoid playing against me. I can actually steal the blinds from UTG! This may be another 90% rule - mix up your game from time to time to keep the opps unbalanced - maybe even a 75- 80% rule.

#4 - no arguement with this one - cap pf if possible. But with QQ, pay close attention on the flop if betting was capped pf vs 2 or 1 opps. Usually if anyone caps against me, I have to worry about AA and KK and prepare for a call down or fold.
Although yesterday a guy capped on the flop (9-9-6) against my JJ with a 77 - I figured I was beat but with no overcards (Turn = 4 River = 4) on board I called him down. He then said "nh - I figured u had me beat" but it didn't stop him from betting my checks all the way to sd - lol.

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My golden rule for poker : Always have Johnny Cash in my headphones when I play.